Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering
Excessive self-concern increases perceptions of threat and defensiveness. In contrast, fostering a more inclusive and expanded sense of self can reduce stress and improve well-being. We developed and tested a novel brief intervention designed to strengthen a student’s compassionate self-identity, an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01481/full |
| _version_ | 1811282618396704768 |
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| author | Heidi A. Wayment Ann Futterman Collier Melissa eBirkett Tinna eTraustadottir Robert E. Till |
| author_facet | Heidi A. Wayment Ann Futterman Collier Melissa eBirkett Tinna eTraustadottir Robert E. Till |
| author_sort | Heidi A. Wayment |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Excessive self-concern increases perceptions of threat and defensiveness. In contrast, fostering a more inclusive and expanded sense of self can reduce stress and improve well-being. We developed and tested a novel brief intervention designed to strengthen a student’s compassionate self-identity, an identity that values balance and growth by reminding them of four quiet ego characteristics: detached awareness, inclusive identity, perspective taking, and growth. Students (N = 32) in their first semester of college who reported greater self-protective (e.g., defensive) goals in the first two weeks of the semester were invited to participate in the study. Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: quiet ego contemplation (QEC), QEC with virtual reality headset (QEC-VR), and control. Participants came to the lab three times to engage in a 15-minute exercise in a 30-day period. The 15-minute Quiet Ego Contemplation (QEC) briefly described each quiet ego characteristic followed by a few minutes time to reflect on what that characteristic meant to them. Those in the QEC condition reported improved quiet ego characteristics and pluralistic thinking, decreases in a urinary marker of oxidative stress, and reduced mind-wandering on a cognitive task. Contrary to expectation, participants who wore the VR headsets while listening to the QEC demonstrated the least improvement. Results suggest that a brief intervention that reduces self-focus and strengthens a more compassionate self-view may offer an additional resource that individuals can use in their everyday lives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:55:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-27fdb469a4c042fc89020c95d25b856d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:55:50Z |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-27fdb469a4c042fc89020c95d25b856d2022-12-22T03:07:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-09-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.01481155819Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wanderingHeidi A. Wayment0Ann Futterman Collier1Melissa eBirkett2Tinna eTraustadottir3Robert E. Till4Northern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityExcessive self-concern increases perceptions of threat and defensiveness. In contrast, fostering a more inclusive and expanded sense of self can reduce stress and improve well-being. We developed and tested a novel brief intervention designed to strengthen a student’s compassionate self-identity, an identity that values balance and growth by reminding them of four quiet ego characteristics: detached awareness, inclusive identity, perspective taking, and growth. Students (N = 32) in their first semester of college who reported greater self-protective (e.g., defensive) goals in the first two weeks of the semester were invited to participate in the study. Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: quiet ego contemplation (QEC), QEC with virtual reality headset (QEC-VR), and control. Participants came to the lab three times to engage in a 15-minute exercise in a 30-day period. The 15-minute Quiet Ego Contemplation (QEC) briefly described each quiet ego characteristic followed by a few minutes time to reflect on what that characteristic meant to them. Those in the QEC condition reported improved quiet ego characteristics and pluralistic thinking, decreases in a urinary marker of oxidative stress, and reduced mind-wandering on a cognitive task. Contrary to expectation, participants who wore the VR headsets while listening to the QEC demonstrated the least improvement. Results suggest that a brief intervention that reduces self-focus and strengthens a more compassionate self-view may offer an additional resource that individuals can use in their everyday lives.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01481/fullOxidative StressSARTBrief interventionsquiet egocompassionate self-identity; |
| spellingShingle | Heidi A. Wayment Ann Futterman Collier Melissa eBirkett Tinna eTraustadottir Robert E. Till Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering Frontiers in Psychology Oxidative Stress SART Brief interventions quiet ego compassionate self-identity; |
| title | Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering |
| title_full | Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering |
| title_fullStr | Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering |
| title_short | Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering |
| title_sort | brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind wandering |
| topic | Oxidative Stress SART Brief interventions quiet ego compassionate self-identity; |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01481/full |
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